GSDowner Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 My boy is over 11.5 year old He had always enjoyed chicken necks, offal, vegies, fruit, yoghurt, peanut butter etc 6 months ago he developed food intolerance - whatever he ate ended in diarrhea (yellow runny with mucous). His vet gave him some antibiotics which helped.. for 2 days. He advised some rice and chicken for a while. My dog suddenly developed chicken intolerance. I finally decided to try kangaroo - I bought kangaroo mince (as it has no fat, nothing added, pure meat). Again a big bad reaction after kangaroo meat. He also gets krill oil every day and Inner Health Plus for two days after each episode. After trial and error meals, my boy can only tolerate rice (cooked in chicken stock for taste) and non-fat cottage cheese. He reacted very badly to full cream cottage cheese. He looks skinny (I can feel his spine under the skin)- what he eats is obviously not enough. He is always hungry but otherwise full of beans. I am afraid though that perhaps I am starving him don't know what to do I would be so grateful for any ideas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussielover Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 Have you tried a prescription diet eg. Eukanuba low residue - our old Aussie developed a similar intolerance as she got older and did well on this food. Even a hypoallergenic diet might help? Or low fat gastrointestinal ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 Poor old boy. What tests did the vet do to see how his internal workings are working? Very hard to find a food to suit if you do not know what exactly to avoid ....... Can he tolerate eggs - whole raw, or lightly cooked? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottsmum Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 My old lady dog lived our her days on ID (probably close to 12 months) Not a choice she was super impressed with but one which kept her alive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loving my Oldies Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 I used to mix ID, rice cooked in home made chicken stock and chicken, but seeing your dog developed an intolerance for the chicken, perhaps you need to stick to the ID and rice. With the chicken stock, I'd make is up as for normal stock but without any seasonings. Remove the chicken and let the stock sit o/night in frig. Skim off as much fat as possible and strain through material. I use a cotton tea towel. This gets pretty well all the fat out. I then cook rice by the absorption method to ensure all the flavour is retained. What does your vet say about the krill oil and Inner Health? Maybe they are a problem as well. Good luck. It is hard to see our loved ones struggling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSDowner Posted April 25, 2014 Author Share Posted April 25, 2014 (edited) Thank you so much Dame-dannys-darling. scottsmum, aussielover, Persephone I also want to add that I tried cooked pumpkin, raw and cooked carrots resulting in a very bad reaction and he used to love so much to munch on raw carrots. My vet thinks it is irritable bowel syndrome. (and to think that not so ago he could eat anything) I tried eggs early in the morning and so far so good (usually he reacts badly almost straight away) Where can I get DI food? Edited April 25, 2014 by GSDowner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSDowner Posted April 25, 2014 Author Share Posted April 25, 2014 Well, according to my vet Krill is ok and Inner Health Plus Just visited my vet's website - he stocks DI food and Eukanaba Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erny Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 (edited) Did your Vet run any blood tests to rule-in or rule-out other possibilities, or only prescribe antibiotics? ETA: I know where you're at and what you're feeling, at the moment. I got to that point with my boy two or so years ago, when it had seemed I'd run out of options. Edited April 25, 2014 by Erny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSoSwift Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 I would get a full blood profile done and a faecal float done to test for parasites and also tested for Pancreatic Insufficiency ( not unheard of in Shepherds - but yes normally occurs younger and comes on more slowly) In the mean time try one of the prescritption diets mentioned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Her Majesty Dogmad Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 I use Woolworths Turkey mince, it's very lean as one of my dogs can't tolerate fat either. It was either my vet or someone on DOL who said usually fat content needs to be under 10% and it's hard to find brands with that but you can. Then I mix the low fat biscuits with turkey mince or tuna, plus veggies and it helps. Other than that, you could cook up rice, veggies and very lean meat or tuna yourself perhaps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louise6616 Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 you may not agree, but I suggest steering away from chicken and rice. But also remember it takes a few weeks for foods to clear from their system. I would feed tinned lentils, grated vegies(I find grating carrots most convenient), rolled oats, some seaweed (just from a health food store) and then add either goat meat or tinned fish - makerel, sardines, tuna etc, liquid and all. I'd stay away from dairy, aside from raw eggs and lactose free milk. I have an older Maltese who is very food sensitive, it has taken me years to get a good balanced diet. This is perfect, all my dogs eat it :-) there's a great book called 'give your dog a bone' you can read a bit of it just by googling. Good luck!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSDowner Posted April 26, 2014 Author Share Posted April 26, 2014 (edited) My vet didn't do any tests just an oldie checkup - his kidneys, heart etc are fine He said that my boy is in an excellent condition for his age. The vet said that as dogs get older they develop all sorts of food intolerance problems. I tried mackerel in oil - big trouble then I read on the internet that oil can cause diarrhea in dogs so then I bought tuna in brine - the same problem I am beginning to think that perhaps animal protein does not agree with him (?) Persephone - thanks so much for your eggs suggestion - it seems he is ok with them So now he can have eggs added so happy (I was surprised as eggs have fat, yet he is ok with them) I will definitely experiment with special diets Di etc, but isn't funny how dogs can develop food intolerance - and not the same for every dog - showing that every pooch is different. Edited April 26, 2014 by GSDowner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erny Posted April 26, 2014 Share Posted April 26, 2014 (edited) Sorry .... but how does he know kidneys are fine, without a blood test? That aside, how does your Vet know it is not pancreatitis? As dogs get older they might develop food intolerance problems (do they?) but did he suggest why? If it were me, I'd want a more thorough check up and tests, rather than putting this problem down to 'just age' and not bothering with at least a blood check to determine if there is a cause and a treatment that just might see your dog right. 11.5yo is getting on, but not necessarily a decrepit age. Edited April 26, 2014 by Erny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted April 26, 2014 Share Posted April 26, 2014 I have owned/worked with many many dogs ..and haven't found things like this happening ...yes, maybe our dogs need a few small meals rather then one large ..but our dogs eat the same foods all their lives... I will suggest you find another vet - one who will do blood/urine/faecal tests to actually help find a CAUSE .... By checking all these- the vet and you know what is floating around inside- what is being processed,and how..and what is being excreted .... well worth the cost for a case like this .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louise6616 Posted April 26, 2014 Share Posted April 26, 2014 oh wow, sorry to hear that fish doesn't agree with him. If eggs are ok, might be worth trying a mix of lentils, eggs, vegetables etc? The lentils will give the protein etc missing from his diet with the absence of meat. Good luck, I feel for both of you. Not fun at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staffyluv Posted April 26, 2014 Share Posted April 26, 2014 You can get sardines in spring water these days - helps give them the omega oils they need, without the added 'fat' of the fish being in oil. My old SBT had huge issues with fat as he got older (plus dealing with MCT).. If he got fat in his diet, he would get the mucus in his poo as well. I used to make up a mix of lean mince (usually roo) with grated veg (zucchini, carrot, peas, etc) and as he wouldn't eat raw stuff, I used to bake it into a big meatloaf. I would also add low fat cottage cheese, some low fat grated cheese, egg, lentils etc.. Poor pup, good luck - there is some great advice in this thread that hopefully helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottsmum Posted April 27, 2014 Share Posted April 27, 2014 Sorry .... but how does he know kidneys are fine, without a blood test? That aside, how does your Vet know it is not pancreatitis? As dogs get older they might develop food intolerance problems (do they?) but did he suggest why? If it were me, I'd want a more thorough check up and tests, rather than putting this problem down to 'just age' and not bothering with at least a blood check to determine if there is a cause and a treatment that just might see your dog right. 11.5yo is getting on, but not necessarily a decrepit age. I agree! Couldn't agree more!!!!! My last dog had liver trouble which was diagnosed and the diagnosis bought her many more years of a good, healthy life. When I was researching the disease (sorry, can't think of the name right now) it was scary how often people had mis-diagnosed it as "old age". One medication, twice a day for 2.5 years improved her quality of life out of sight. When she first went on the meds she lost weight easily (a good thing - as we'd been battling the paunch), got her appetite back, got her energy and lust for walks back and the big one - was able to get up and down on the "people bed" again - something she hadn't done in over 6 months. It was when we saw her getting around on the furniture again that we realised how down hill she'd done without us noticing! We'd just put it down to "old age" A full blood panel and any other tests you can afford is SO worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loving my Oldies Posted April 27, 2014 Share Posted April 27, 2014 (edited) My vet didn't do any tests just an oldie checkup - his kidneys, heart etc are fine He said that my boy is in an excellent condition for his age. The vet said that as dogs get older they develop all sorts of food intolerance problems. I don't mean to disparage your vet GSDowner, but I find this quite extraordinary and downright shocking. All my dogs are elderly, none of them has food intolerance, I rescued and adopted several elderly dogs from pounds over the years and none of them ever developed a food intolerance. Yes, they (and we humans) have their off days and might from time to time have upset tummies, but to say that as dogs get older they develop all sorts of food intolerance problems is just plain dangerous. Go elsewhere .... and fast. ETA: Perhaps you could tell us the town/city/suburb you live in and we could give recommendations. Edited April 27, 2014 by Dame Danny's Darling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_PL_ Posted April 27, 2014 Share Posted April 27, 2014 Sorry .... but how does he know kidneys are fine, without a blood test? That aside, how does your Vet know it is not pancreatitis? As dogs get older they might develop food intolerance problems (do they?) but did he suggest why? If it were me, I'd want a more thorough check up and tests, rather than putting this problem down to 'just age' and not bothering with at least a blood check to determine if there is a cause and a treatment that just might see your dog right. 11.5yo is getting on, but not necessarily a decrepit age. ^^ good advice. Even the basic inhouse pre-op bloods could be done before you decide on a full blood panel. Did your vet offer? Maybe he didn't explain the benefits. Sadly sometimes blood results aren't great but it's better to know as early as possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSDowner Posted April 27, 2014 Author Share Posted April 27, 2014 "All my dogs are elderly, none of them has food intolerance, I rescued and adopted several elderly dogs from pounds over the years and none of them ever developed a food intolerance." Yes, they (and we humans) have their off days and might from time to time have upset tummies, but to say that as dogs get older they develop all sorts of food intolerance problems is just plain dangerous. Go elsewhere .... and fast. ETA: Perhaps you could tell us the town/city/suburb you live in and we could give recommendations. Dame Danny's Darling - I live in Melbourne, around Box Hill area. (Thanks so much everybody, a check-up sounds necessary) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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